Passed 21 February 1995
(RTa I 1995, 23, 334),
entered into force 1 April 1995,
amended by the following Acts:
(1) The official language of Estonia is Estonian.
(2) For the purposes of this Act, the basis for the official use of Estonian is the Estonian Literary Standard pursuant to the procedure established by the Government of the Republic.
(1) For the purposes of this Act, any language other than Estonian is a foreign language.
(2) A language of a national minority is a foreign language which Estonian citizens who belong to a national minority have historically used as their mother tongue in Estonia.
(1) The language of public administration in state agencies, local governments and agencies thereof (hereinafter local governments) and the language of service and command in the Estonian Defence Forces shall be Estonian. Exceptions are provided for in Chapters 2, 3 and 4 of this Act.
(2) The use of languages in pre-trial proceedings and judicial proceedings is provided for in the corresponding Acts.
(1) Everyone has the right to access public administration and to communicate in Estonian in state agencies, local governments, cultural autonomy bodies and institutions, companies, non-profit associations and foundations.
(2) All employees of agencies, enterprises and organisations shall be provided with work-related
information in Estonian.
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
(1) (Repealed - 15.12.98 entered into force 17.01.99 - RT I 1999, 1, 1)
(2) Public servants and employees of state agencies administered by government agencies and of
local government agencies, and employees of legal persons in public law and agencies thereof must
be able to understand and shall use Estonian at the level which is necessary to perform their service
or employment duties.
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
(3) In order to comply with requirements for the work environment and consumer protection and
in the interests of the protection of the environment, health and security, employees of companies,
non-profit associations and foundations, and sole proprietors shall, upon offering goods or services
and forwarding information, use Estonian at the level which is necessary to perform their
employment duties.
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
(4) The mandatory levels of language proficiency for public servants, employees and sole
proprietors specified in subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall be established by the
Government of the Republic.
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
(5) Proficiency in Estonian shall be required at one of the three levels of language proficiency:
1) basic level — limited oral and elementary written proficiency in Estonian. The person can manage in familiar language situations, understands clear speech on everyday topics, understands the general meaning of uncomplicated texts and can complete simple standard documents and write short texts for general use;
2) intermediate level — oral and limited written proficiency in Estonian. The person can manage in various language situations, understands speech at normal speed, understands the contents of texts on everyday topics without difficulty and can write texts relating to his or her area of activity;
3) advanced level — oral and written proficiency in Estonian. The person can express himself
or herself freely irrespective of the language situation, understands speech at high speed,
understands the contents of more complicated texts without difficulty and can write texts which are
different in style and function.
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
(6) The requirements for proficiency in the Estonian language do not apply to a foreign specialist
or foreign expert who comes to Estonia for up to one year on the basis of a work permit, if the head
of the agency or the employer ensures access to public administration and work-related information
in Estonian for the public servants or employees who communicate with the foreign specialist or
foreign expert in the performance of their service or employment duties.
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
(1) Proficiency in the Estonian language shall be evaluated by state examination committees using Estonian language proficiency examinations. The membership of the state examination committees shall be approved and the procedure for conducting Estonian language proficiency examinations shall be established by a regulation of the Minister of Education.
(2) The conditions for combining final examinations in the Estonian language at foreign language basic or secondary schools and Estonian language proficiency examinations shall be established by the Minister of Education. The conditions for combining Estonian language examinations for applicants for citizenship and Estonian language proficiency examinations shall be established by the Government of the Republic.
(3) Persons who have acquired basic, secondary, vocational secondary or higher education in Estonian are not required to take an Estonian language proficiency examination.
(4) Persons who wish to take an Estonian language proficiency examination have the right to receive consultations without charge prior to taking the examination, to the extent and pursuant to the procedure established by the Government of the Republic; the costs of such consultations shall be covered from the state budget.
(5) Persons who have passed an Estonian language proficiency examination shall be issued a certificate
of proficiency in the Estonian language, the format of which shall be approved by the Government
of the Republic.
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
State agencies and local governments shall ensure that opportunities exist to acquire education in Estonian in all educational institutions belonging thereto and to acquire education in foreign languages, pursuant to the procedure prescribed by law.
In local governments where besides Estonian the language of a national minority is the internal
working language, public servants and employees shall be proficient in Estonian to the extent of the
requirements for proficiency in and use of the Estonian language which are established by the Government
of the Republic.
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
In oral communication with public servants and employees of state agencies and local governments,
persons who are not proficient in Estonian may, by agreement of the parties, use a foreign language
which the public servants and employees understand. If no agreement is reached, communication shall
take place through an interpreter and the costs shall be borne by the person who is not proficient
in Estonian.
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
In international communication, state agencies and local governments and the public servants and
employees thereof have the right to use a language which is suitable for both parties.
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
(1) In local governments where at least half of the permanent residents belong to a national minority, everyone has the right to receive answers from state agencies operating in the territory of the corresponding local government and from the corresponding local government and officials thereof in the language of the national minority as well as in Estonian.
(2) A permanent resident of a local government is a person who is legally in Estonia, who resides in the territory of the local government for at least 183 days annually and whose absence therefrom does not exceed 90 consecutive days.
In local governments where the majority of permanent residents are non-Estonian speakers, the language of the national minority constituting the majority of the permanent residents of the local government may be used alongside Estonian as the internal working language of the local government on the proposal of the corresponding local government council and by a decision of the Government of the Republic.
In local governments where the language of a national minority is used as the internal working language alongside Estonian, all correspondence with state agencies and other local governments shall be in Estonian.
(1) In local governments where the language of a national minority is used as the internal working language alongside Estonian, seals, rubber stamps and letter-heads shall be in Estonian.
(2) In local governments specified in subsection (1) of this section, invitations, announcements and notices shall be in Estonian and the local government may append a translation into the corresponding language of the national minority.
(1) The cultural autonomy body of a national minority may use the language of the national minority as an internal working language.
(2) All communication of cultural autonomy bodies with state agencies and with local governments where the language of the national minority is not used as an internal working language shall take place in Estonian.
(1) The seals of cultural autonomy bodies of national minorities shall be in Estonian.
(2) Official letter-heads, announcements, notices and rubber stamps shall be in Estonian and the cultural autonomy body may append a translation into the corresponding language of the national minority.
Consumers of goods and services have the right to receive information and servicing in Estonian in compliance with the Consumer Protection Act (RT I 1994, 2, 13; 1996, 49, 953; 1997, 93, 1516; 1999, 10, 156).
Agencies, companies, non-profit associations and foundations which are registered in Estonia
shall report in Estonian pursuant to the procedure prescribed by Acts.
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
Foreign languages shall be used for forwarding information to consumers of goods and services and in work-related communication pursuant to the procedure established by the Government of the Republic.
(1) Estonian place names shall be in Estonian. Exceptions may be permitted in place names if they are justified for historical or cultural reasons.
(2) Each place in Estonia shall have only one official name. The original form of Estonian place names shall be written using Estonian-Latin letters. Estonian place names transcribed into the language of a national minority which uses another alphabet shall be written in compliance with the transcription rules established in the Literary Standards.
The official form of names of Estonian citizens shall be written using Estonian-Latin letters. Names of Estonian citizens transcribed into a language which uses another alphabet shall be written in compliance with the transcription rules established in the Literary Standards.
(1) (Repealed - 28.05.96 entered into force 08.06.96 - RT I 1996, 40, 773)
(2) The seals, rubber stamps and letter-heads of agencies, companies, non-profit associations and
foundations which are registered in Estonia shall be in Estonian. In the case of international
communication, an agency, enterprise or organisation may append a translation into a foreign language.
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
(1) The international form of Estonian place names, names of citizens, things, companies, agencies,
non-profit associations and foundations in the Latin alphabet shall be identical to the form used in Estonia.
(09.02.1999 entered into force 01.07.1999 - RT I 1999, 16, 275)
(2) If the names provided in subsection (1) of this section are written in a language which uses another alphabet, the transcription rules established in the Literary Standards shall be applied.
(1) Public signs, signposts, announcements, notices and advertisements shall be in Estonian, except in the cases provided for in §§ 13, 15 and 18 of this Act and upon organisation of international events.
(2) The provisions of this section do not apply to foreign representations.
The letter combinations used on state registration plates shall contain only Latin letters.
(1) Upon broadcasting (including transmission by television stations or cable networks) of audiovisual works (including programmes and advertisements), foreign language text shall be accompanied by an adequate translation into Estonian.
(2) A translation into Estonian is not required for programmes which are immediately retransmitted or language learning programmes or in the case of the newsreader’s text of originally produced foreign language news programmes and of originally produced live foreign language programmes.
(3) A translation into Estonian is not required in the case of radio programmes which are aimed at a foreign language audience.
(4) The volume of foreign language news programmes and live foreign language programmes without
translations into Estonian specified in subsection (2) of this section shall not exceed 10 per cent
of the volume of weekly original production.
(10.09.97 entered into force 04.10.97 - RT I 1997, 69, 1110)
(1) The word "Riigikogu" as the name of the Estonian legislative body is not subject to translation.
(2) The word "Riigikogu" transcribed into foreign languages which use the Latin alphabet identically to Estonian and into languages which use other alphabets shall be written in compliance with the transcription rules established in the Literary Standards.
(3) Instead of or as an attribute to the word "Riigikogu" as the name of the Estonian legislative body, the word "parlament" [parliament] in Estonian and foreign language equivalents thereof may be used as an unofficial name.
Persons who violate this Act or other legislation related thereto shall bear administrative liability pursuant to the procedure prescribed by law.
Supervision over compliance with this Act shall be exercised pursuant to the procedure established by the Government of the Republic.
(1) The Estonian SSR Language Act (ENSV Teatajac 1989, 4, 60; RT I 1993, 20, 352; 1994, 49, 804) is repealed.
(2) The Local Government Organisation Act (RT I 1993, 37, 558; 1994, 12, 200; 19, 340; 72, 1263; 84, 1475; 1995, 16, 228; 17, 237; 23, 334; 26-28, 355; 59, 1006; 97, 1664; 1996, 36, 738; 37, 739; 40, 773; 48, 942; 89, 1591; 1997, 13, 210; 29, 449 and 450; 69, 1113; 1998, 28, 356; 59, 941; 61, 984; 1999, 10, 155) is amended as follows:
1) subsection 23 (8) is amended and worded as follows:
"(8) Council regulations and resolutions and minutes of council sessions shall be prepared and published in Estonian. In local governments where the majority of permanent residents are non-Estonian speakers, minutes of council sessions may be prepared in the language of the national minority constituting the majority of the permanent residents of the local government; however, a translation into Estonian shall be appended thereto.";
2) subsection 41 (2) is amended and worded as follows:
"(2) The use of foreign languages including languages of national minorities shall be provided for in the Language Act."
This Act enters into force on 1 April 1995.
a RT = Riigi Teataja = State Gazette
b Riigikogu = the parliament of Estonia
c ENSV Teataja = ESSR Gazette